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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25285264">Beyond Sight, Into Infinity</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragon_MoonX/pseuds/Dragon_MoonX'>Dragon_MoonX</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blind Character, Established Relationship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Post-Movie 2: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Seer Gellert Grindelwald, Tragic Romance, Visions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:54:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,512</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25285264</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragon_MoonX/pseuds/Dragon_MoonX</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There are some who believe him to be blind; while others, perhaps with more reason, claim that he has travelled far beyond blindness, that indeed, he can do nothing but see: that he sees the fine traceries the galaxies make as they spiral through the void, that he watches the intricate patterns living things make on their journey through time.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This story came from a post on Quora which suggested that Grindelwald is blind in one eye (the pale grey one), basically the blind seer trope. Further research lead me to an article on Johnny Depp that stated he is almost blind in one eye and nearsighted in the other. I honestly wonder if this is why he gave Grindelwald two different colored eyes, and if Grindelwald is in fact partially blind.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The atmosphere was still, silence atop the mountain, within the stone halls of Nurmengard. It was this silence that haunted him, unused to the quiet when all he'd ever known was the noise of the city, the sound of New York in its prime. And so Credence had taken to wandering the halls at night, unable, or perhaps unwilling, to face the demons in his sleep.</span>
</p><p>A chill in the air made him shiver, his arms closing around his chest, heart beating quickly as his eyes traced the movement of the shadows on the wall. There was something sinister about this place, its remote location adding to the ethereal quality that snaked around the stone pillars, between winding staircases and endless corridors. It frightened him sometimes, but Grindelwald had assured him, time and time again, that there was nothing to fear.</p><p>He was safe here, or so they said. Protected by the phoenix that clung to his shoulder, always watching over him. And so he continued on his way, until at last he reached the study on the fourth floor.</p><p>Here the shadows fled before him, candles set in brackets along the wall igniting when he approached the door. A sharp gasp shattered the silence in the hallway, eyes darting upwards towards the flickering flame. Taking a step back, Credence clutched his chest, the phoenix fluttering its wings.</p><p>"It's alright, Fawkes," Credence murmured, lifting a hand and gently stroking the creature's head. He paused, glancing at the candles before opening the door. He still wasn't used to such things.</p><p>Inside he found Gellert Grindelwald asleep at his desk, head down, his cheek resting against his arm. Numerous books were stacked upon the desk, their various titles emblazed across hardcovers, the letters shining gold. These golden hues merged with silver strands, his ruffled hair sticking out at odd angles.</p><p>It was strange seeing his disheveled form at three in the morning, looking as though he had collapsed at his desk and instantly fell asleep. But he supposed even Grindelwald had his moments.</p><p>Credence quietly observed the older man, noting the way his tie had come undone, the dark fabric draped across one arm, the rest of it buried beneath his chest. A few muttered sounds dribbled past his lips, but still he did not wake. Not even when the phoenix took flight, circling the stacks of books before landing on one of the greater volumes that surrounded the sleeping wizard.</p><p>"Fawkes!" Credence hissed between his teeth, worried that the phoenix might wake him. Nervously he glanced at Grindelwald, taking a step back and holding his breath, waiting for wizard to awaken.</p><p>In time Grindelwald began to stir, his eyes opening as the great bird cast its shadow on the desk. "Miss Goldstein?" he muttered sleepily, the left side of his face buried in the crook of his arm.</p><p>Credence froze, his heart beating fiercely against his ribs. From where he was standing he should have been completely visible to the seer. There was, after all, that ghastly silver eye staring right at him, looking through him perhaps, seeing something no ordinary wizard could perceive.</p><p>"S-sir?" Credence said softly, his voice barely audible.</p><p>Grindelwald sat up suddenly, instantly alert and reaching for his wand. It wasn't until he had turned completely around that he saw Credence hurriedly backing towards the wall.</p><p>"I-I'm s-sorry, sir," Credence stammered, his back against the bookshelf. "I sh-shouldn't be in here, I know that. But I... I..." His voice trailed off into silence, and Grindelwald's features softened at the sight of this poor boy.</p><p>"Aurelius." This single word soft spoken, foreign to one so unused to his true identity, helped to calm the Obscurial. "There is no need to be frightened, my boy. You have simply taken me by surprise. Nothing more."</p><p>Grindelwald rose from his seat, slowly, gracefully, and put his arm around the trembling boy. "What troubles you, Aurelius?" he asked gently. "Surely you wouldn't be awake at this hour unless something was wrong."</p><p>The Obscurial lifted his head, the tremors beginnings to subside. This man, a stranger until only a month ago, somehow seemed more comforting than any he had ever known.</p><p>He swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry. "C-can't sleep," Credence whispered, frightened like a helpless child. "Bad dreams..."</p><p>The seer was sympathetic. "Ah yes, I understand, Aurelius." His hand moved slowly down Credence's arm, stopping at the elbow before moving upwards again. "In visions and in dreams we often see that which we fear the most. I, too, have seen such things. More recently it has become these waking dreams that I find most troubling, this dismal future..."</p><p>His voice died in his throat and Grindelwald became still, staring at something that was beyond those with normal vision.</p><p>Credence had witnessed this before, the bizarre trance-like state that often occurred without warning, usually when Grindelwald had not been getting enough sleep. He had been given specific instructions on what to do during these moments, told to keep quiet lest he break the trance and disturb his master.</p><p>Sometimes it was difficult to follow these instructions, the air scarcely flowing into his master's lungs. It were as though his entire body had gone numb, paralyzed by the visions which held him captive. And unless you looked closely, you wouldn't even know that Grindelwald was still breathing.</p><p>Then, with a sharp, sudden inhalation of breath, Grindelwald bit back a curse and pressed his fingers against the area over his right eye. He could feel a deep piercing pain, radiating outwards and stabbing him through his eye.</p><p>His sight was swimming, distorted by the fabric of space and time that presented him with a myriad of fleeting images. Together they formed layers of sight and sound, the furniture in the room and the floor beneath his feet superimposed over the screaming victims of a massive war.</p><p>"Sir?" Credence's voice, distant and afraid. "Sir, a-are you alright?"</p><p>The seer doubled over, one hand clutching the bookshelf. "They... they overlap," he said, gritting his teeth against the pain. "Perfectly intertwined."</p><p>A grim smile twisted his lips, and Grindelwald's trembling hand left the bookshelf. He kept his fingers pressed against his temple, gently massaging the area while closing his left eye. It was enough to block out the images from his study, allowing him to focus on the future.</p><p>In the blackness behind his vision he watched the spires of smoke drifting towards the heavens. The flames, all consuming in the light of dawn, broke through the shadows in his mind, ripping, gouging, devouring with great force.</p><p>By this time he had lost all contact with the present, his senses barely registering the gentle weight on his shoulder. The pressure on his shoulder increased, the world spinning as Credence lead him away from the bookshelf and lowered him onto a chair beside the desk.</p><p>Grindelwald slumped against the wooden frame, the last ounces of color draining from his features. "Aurelius, I am alright," he managed between labored breaths. "I assure you there is no cause for concern." He slowly lifted his head, blinking away the remnants of his vision.</p><p>And then he realized that the boy was nowhere to be seen, the only sound coming from the scarlet bird as its talons clicked against the surface of the desk.</p><p>"Aurelius?" The voice that spoke was mildly perplexed. Grindelwald reached for him, groping the air on his right, until he felt the fabric of the young man's robes. "Ah, there you are," he said, turning towards the Obscurial. "For a moment I thought I had frightened you out of the room."</p><p>Curiosity replaced concern, a willingness to learn overriding his anxiety. "Sir," Credence began hesitantly. "I'm sorry, sir, but can you... can you see me? On this side, I mean."</p><p>"Not entirely," Grindelwald admitted, shaking his head. "I'm afraid I've never had proper vision. It is a flaw that I was born with, a limitation that is impossible to correct. However, it has granted me the ability to have visions of the future, as I'm sure you must have noticed."</p><p>He sounded quite weary now, a tired sigh lingering in the air as he leaned back in his chair. "Your brother once told me that I am limited by its lack of completion," he said thoughtfully, thinking back on the time he'd shared with Albus. "Perhaps my limited vision as a seer is due to having lost vision in only one eye." He paused briefly, a faint smirk playing across his lips. "Or perhaps he was just being smart with me."</p><p>"Huh?" Credence furrowed his brow in confusion. He had no knowledge of their relationship prior to the accidental death of his sister.</p><p>"It's nothing," Grindelwald said casually, waving off his concern. "Just a bit of memory I am unable to escape. No matter. We all have our past stories, our histories which define the very nature of our existence. However, it is my job to see into the future, not the past, regardless of my limitations."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>'Incomplete. That is how he sees me. But that doesn't mean he cannot learn to love someone and all their imperfections. If I am incomplete, then we are two halves made whole. And I do not need my vision to see that he is the one.'</p><p>These words, the last echo of coherent thought, his eyes closing in the warmth of the setting sun.</p><p>"Albus," he breathed, the darkness beneath his eyelids lit with a thousand points of radiant light. These living particles shone with the essence of life itself, leaving shimmering strands across his heated flesh.</p><p>It was light that entered him, until he no longer watched but had become part of the infinite. He felt his muscles contract, callused hands holding his quivering form, tensing, rising just before the fall.</p><p>And in that moment he had seen the clouds racing across the sky, faded shades of amber illuminating the dawn. There sparked the faintest trace of their future, descending into dust, striking against stone, alone in the ruins of all that he had made.</p><p>It flickered, it faded in the blink of a cosmic eye.</p><p>Was he wrong?</p><p>"Look at me, Gellert." A single request, just as breathless, just as passionate as his own. "Please."</p><p>How much time had passed since they reached completion? It all began to blur together, desperately trying to hold on to his vision while exhaustion claimed his mind.</p><p>The seer groaned, his lashes lifting, fluttering like the wings of a moth. "Albus?" he muttered, his face slack as he started at the rumpled sheets near the foot of the bed.</p><p>A single hand cupped his cheek, lips pressing against his own. There was a murmur of sound, of crisp cool linen rustling softly beneath his weight. Then, slowly, his face cleared. Grindelwald was becoming more alert, returning to the physical world they inhabited.</p><p>"What exactly is it that you see?" Albus queried, keeping his tone gentle, laced with genuine curiosity.</p><p>Grindelwald sighed heavily, keeping his fingers pressed against the area over his right eye. "Light," he replied, his thoughts still moving sluggishly. "Colors and light against a sea of stars and..." He lowered his hand, gazing steadily at his partner. "And I saw you, Albus."</p><p>Silence lingered in the air between them, his own mismatched eyes meeting with those of rich sapphire blue.</p><p>If his visions were correct, if they met and tore the heavens asunder...</p><p>"I am curious," said Albus, choosing to address the simple matters first. "How is it that you are able to see colors and light? What with your blindness and all."</p><p>Grindelwald shook his head, as though trying to rid himself of an irksome fly. "I see... I feel the vibrations within the light," he said at length, carefully weighing his words before he spoke. "There is a theory, Albus. A belief that premonitions are caused by a disturbance in the fabric of space and time. Supposedly they create ripples in the spacetime continuum, a disruption, perhaps a distortion, if you will."</p><p>Another pause. Grindelwald hesitated, barely able to find his voice.</p><p>"Imagine ripples spreading on the surface of the water, a single drop, a hundred more to follow. I can sense the light within, I can feel them as they multiply. And sometimes, when I am able to view a specific aura, I can sense the ripples within their own personal energy field, and I can see what fate will befall them in the future."</p><p>Albus smiled pleasantly, tilting his head a fraction. "It makes for some rather interesting pillow talk, now doesn't it?" But his partner still seemed troubled, his gaze drifting towards the corner of the room.</p><p>"Gellert?" Albus sat up in bed, looking at him with concern.</p><p>When his partner failed to respond, Albus tried waving a hand in front of his face.</p><p>There appeared a bluish haze on the edges of his peripheral vision, the only image he was able to see with his limited sight. This lingering mist was layered atop the furniture in their room, darting across the bedsheets, streaking across the walls.</p><p>If Grindelwald had closed his left eye, he would have seen only light, the haze surrounding Albus' hand, radiating outwards. Closing his right eye would have no effect whatsoever. He was blind to physical world, seeing only in visions and dreams.</p><p>"Gellert." His tone was serious now. "What have you seen?"</p><p>"War," Grindelwald said simply, speaking in a voice of deathly calm. "I have foreseen a great battle, and it will not end well, Albus."</p><p>Albus shifted slightly, moving closer and putting his arm the younger wizard.</p><p>It was a great comfort to feel the warmth of his body, soothed by the gentle quality of his voice. But at the same time Grindelwald could hardly escape the feeling of having been here before, their moment of intimacy shattered by the surreal, dreamlike quality he often experienced when his visions came to life.</p><p>"Gellert Grindelwald, you are one of the wisest people I have ever met," Albus stated calmly. "Therefore you must know your limitations, and that the consequences of our actions are so complicated, so diverse, it makes predicting the future a very difficult business indeed."</p><p>"Limitations, Albus?" He was grinning now in spite of himself, knowing word for word how this conversation would play out in the end.</p><p>"Your blindness is incomplete," Albus continued. "And although I don't consider myself an expert on the matter, I suspect this could limit the accuracy of your visions."</p><p>If only he knew, if only he could see, moving beyond sight and into infinity.</p><p>"Of course." Grindelwald's tone was smooth as silk, finally lifting his chin and gazing into his partner's eyes. "I am but a fool to think otherwise."</p><p>There was no point in arguing. Even now, though it was decades from occurring, he watched himself fall to his knees, imprisoned in the halls that he had built, his fingers dripping scarlet as he scrawled a single sentence on the wall.</p><p>"I love you."</p>
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